Pierre Boulez Saal: The Queen Commanded Him to Forget
About the Event
Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of Berlin's breathtaking Pierre Boulez Saal for the ultimate concert set to awake your understanding of theatre.
The Queen Commanded Him to Forget
World premiere
based on fragments from 'My Name Is Adam. Children from the Ghetto' by Elias Khoury and motifs from Brecht's 'Mother Courage'.
Director Ofira Henig — who recently performed her productions The Bees' Road and KIND OF at the Festival Internationale Neue Dramatik at the Schaubühne in Berlin — has developed a new piece together with actor and dramaturge Khalifa Natour especially for the Pierre Boulez Saal, in which the boundaries between theatre, music and poetry, but also between different cultures, become blurred. The Queen Commanded Him to Forget is based on the novel Children of the Ghetto. My Name Is Adam by Lebanese writer Elias Khoury and is also inspired by Brecht's Mother Courage, Mahler's Kindertotenlieder and the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. The story centres on the character of Um Hassan, who would do anything to ensure the well‐being of her children in times of war. The play explores the question of what role literature can play in preserving memory and the process that entrenches forgetting.
The premiere of this project was originally planned for April 2020 in the Pierre Boulez Hall. Over the past two years, the participants have continued to work on it in their hometown of Haifa and have presented the piece to an audience, among other things, in the context of a public rehearsal. With these performances, the project is now experiencing its world premiere in the place where the creative process began.
In Arabic with German and English surtitles
Supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
Pierre Boulez Saal
The Pierre Boulez Hall is the hall of the Barenboim‐Said Academy. Designed by Frank O. Geary, the hall opened in March 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The hall was named in tribute to French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez, a name suggested by the Argentinian‐Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Despite being essentially a chamber venue, the structure has a cuboid shape that can accommodate medium‐sized orchestras, and up to 682 visitors. Architect and musicians alike seek to offer a 360 degree perspective on music, combining styles, cultures and viewpoints in the space.
Cast / Production
OFIRA HENIG
Regie
KHALIFA NATOUR
Arabische Übersetzung
KINAN AZMEH
Musik
ASHRAF HANNA
Visuelles Konzept
ANNIE ATEDGY‐YELLIN
Kostüme
RAMY AL‐ASHEQ
Dichtung
HENNING STRECK
Lichtdesign
MURAD ABU ELHEJA
Redaktion Übertitel
SALEH BAKRI
Schauspieler
KHALIFA NATOUR
Schauspieler
CARLOS GHARZUZI
Schauspieler
MAYA OMAIA KEESH
Schauspielerin
ANAN ABU JABER
Schauspieler
BASHEER ASLI
Gesang
